The Master of Hallowed Time
by shadowwalnut
Summary: Harry, using his newly discovered status as the master of death, travels back in time to his third year. What will he change? Will he manage to avoid the deaths that haunt him? Or will he end up causing more. A time-travel fic filled with the things I wish for when I read others.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so this is my first story, it's a time-travel fic, but it's filled with all the things I wish I could see in other time-travel fics and I promise Harry won't be this angsty. I just need him like this in order to go back.

Harry looked around the battle field with a heavy heart. It had all been too much for him in the great hall, he'd tried to be strong, he'd tried to be the leader that he knew people saw him as. He'd just dueled with and beat the most powerful and viscous wizard of modern times and yet all Harry wanted to do was hide. He couldn't cope seeing the bodies of those who'd given their lives in this war. Remus, Tonks, little Colin and worst of all, Fred. It had broken his heart to see the Weasleys so upset. To see Molly, the woman he'd come to regard as a second mother cling to her now dead son, tears beating off his lifeless form. It was too much. Harry blamed himself. Would Fred still have been there if Harry hadn't been friends with Ron? Would he have fought? Would Remus have fought? Colin he felt sure wouldn't have been there if not for Harry and the really was all too much. Harry had tried to come outside to grieve in his own way, to hide from the death he felt so responsible for and yet every few steps he had been thanked. Thanked! By the very people who's lives he'd allowed to risk to help his own destiny of destroying Riddle. Suddenly the bodies around him weren't the most oppressive force in the room anymore. Then more than ever Harry needed to escape, and so there he was, surveying the battle field. Racked with guilt for surviving when so many others had not.

"I know what you're thinking" said a soft voice from behind him. Harry didn't move, he made no sign that he'd even heard the voice save for a slight tensing of his muscles. Minutes passed in silence when the voice spoke again, this time accompanied by a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault Harry, these people all knew what could happen if they came here today. Yet they still did. Why? Because they wanted to ensure a world where their friends and families could be free. Free from Voldemort, free from the death eaters and free from a society that would persecute someone based merely on their blood status. They didn't die for you Harry, they fought and died for the same reasons you did. And before you say it, you didn't do this because of some stupid prophecy. You did it because you love us. All of us."

"Oh Hermione" whispered Harry, finally turning around and looking his friend in the eyes. "It's just... I know all of that. Logically I know all of that, but that won't stop me blaming myself. Maybe if I'd found the horcruxes sooner I'd have been able to save more people, or if I'd known before today that I was the master of the deathly hallows... Wait! That's it!" Harry said with a start, suddenly looking brighter, more alert and, to Hermione, even seeming a little hopeful. "I'm the master of the the hallows right?"

"Harry..." Hermione said quietly, knowing what he was about to say.

"I inherited the cloak from my dad, the wand I took by force and the stone..." Here Harry paused for a second. "The stone was bequeathed to me by Dumbledore. I just need to fetch it from the forest where I dropped it and I'm the master of all three hallows."

"Harry..." Tried Hermione again, but it was of little use, Harry was becoming more determined with each breath.

"The master of all three hallows Hermione. You know what that means don't you!" Shouted Harry, almost desperate now. "I'm the master of death! The master of death Hermione! I can bring everyone back! I can bring Fred back. Heck, I can bring everyone who died since I became the master of death back! You read that book Dumbledore left you. There must be something on that, go get it whilst I get the stone! Quickly, time might be important!"

But Hermione didn't move. "Harry" she said, "I read that book cover to cover, I read the story of the the brothers over and over. The master of death, it... It doesn't work that way. Once someone has gone, that's it, you can't pull them back from the other side." She chewed on her lip nervously, waiting for the breakdown she knew her words would cause. But it never came, in fact, Harry smiled.

"Once they're gone. That's it then, I just need to go back and stop anyone from dying... Before they cross over."

Hermione sighed, she had been expecting this, she knew Harry wouldn't give up so easily. "That's just it though Harry, you can't go back in time like that, it's against the laws, not to mention all the time turners were smashed..."

"Breaking into Gringotts is against the law too Hermione" Harry smirked, "and besides, we don't need a time turner, master of hallows, remember?"

Hermione shook her head, "it won't work Harry, no wizard can turn back time with just a spell, even with the help of the hallows."

"I have to try Hermione." And with that Harry concentrated all of his will on the hallows, the elder wand in his hand began to vibrate slightly, his cloak began to emanate a strange glow, and from a distance, the stone was steadily making its way through the air and in to Harry's hand. Harry concentrated all his mind and body on to the feelings he'd experienced that time he'd used the time turner in third year. Not allowing room for doubt. He was the master of the three fabled hallows, he could do anything. That was it, he remembered standing next to Hermione, he remembered how his body moved and swayed through time, how the world around him had seemed to rewind with great speed, how freely he slipped back, further and further until... Harry felt an incredibly strange sensation, he felt like he was flying, he wasn't sure where exactly, but before he could work it out, he stopped. Harry opened his eyes and found himself looking straight into Hermione's. "Damn it" he thought, it hadn't worked, he hadn't gone anywhere. He was still outside Hogwarts, Hermione was still looking at him like he was crazy, he hadn't turned back time at all.

"What the Hell have you just done?" Squeaked Hermione? "Oh God! Quick get behind here!" And she pulled him with a surprising amount of strength behind a wall if the castle, just in time for Harry to see a werewolf running across the grounds, chased closely by a big, black dog.

"Sirius..." Harry gasped, "Moony..."

A/N: So there we have it, Angsty Harry is done with now, and we can get to the good stuff. Plus, explanations as to what has happened and why Hermione has gone back will follow. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, it hasn't even been up 24 hours yet and there are already loads of comments and follows, I'm really flattered. Thank you.

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"What the Hell have you just done?" Squeaked Hermione? "Oh God! Quick get behind here!" And she pulled him with a surprising amount of strength behind a wall of the castle, just in time for Harry to see a werewolf running across the grounds, chased closely by a big, black dog.

"Sirius..." Harry gasped, "Moony..."

Harry was stunned. He didn't understand what was happening around him, he felt cold, scared and all of a sudden he could hear screaming. He turned to Hermione, wanting to tell her to be quite, but all he could muster was a small shout. Harry was feeling faint and didn't think he could remain standing for much longer, the screaming was getting louder but Hermione's mouth wasn't even open. That's when Harry realised, dementors. He was too weak to even lift his wand, let alone cast a patronus. He felt sure if he could just cast the spell, the elder wand would do the rest for him. But alas, this thought was too late, he was falling to the ground, soon the dementors would be on him. He'd receive the kiss and wouldn't be able to save anyone, he was probably condemning even more people to death. Hermione was trying to say something, he felt sure he could see her mouth moving, he couldn't hear though, he couldn't see anymore.

"Not Harry! Please not Harry! Kill me instead!" A flash of green, terrible laughter, pain, so much pain.

"Harry! Get up, come on! We can't stay here."

"Hermione?" Harry muttered. "Wh... What's happening? Where did the dementors go?"

"Oh come on Harry, you don't think all that teaching in the DA went to waste do you?" grinned Hermione. "Come on, we need to get you in here" and with that, Hermione helped Harry off the ground and led him somewhere familiar, a small hut next to the lake, somewhere he'd spent some of the happiest days of his childhood. Hagrid's hut.

"What are we doing in here Hermione?" Said Harry, glancing around. "Hagrid could be back any minute, he can't see us here, won't he question why slightly older versions of us are lounging around inside his home?" But even as he said that, he felt like something wasn't quite truthful about it.

"Look in the mirror Harry" Hermione was chewing her lip again. "We're not older, and I'm certain that Hagrid won't be coming back her any time soon."

Hermione was right, realised Harry, he appeared no older than when he had first faced the dementors across the lake in his third year. But it had been he who cast the patronus back then, not Hermione.

"I think..." Began Hermione. "I think that whatever you just did, whatever spell you just cast... I think it worked. I think you sent us back in time."

"But it didn't work!" Exclaimed Harry "I didn't send us back in time, because we're not us, we're younger. I was trying to send us back in time in the same way a time turner works."

"But I told you Harry, no wizard can do that with a spell, even the master of the hallows!"

"Well then how do you explain this?" Shouted a frustrated Harry.

Hermione looked away, staring out of the window, across the castle grounds and casting her mind back to everything she had read about the fabled master of death. Then a hint of understanding dawned upon her "You're the master of death Harry. Think of the resurrection stone, you deal in souls, not corporeal forms. I don't think it is possible to send a body back in time with a spell, but I do think..." Here she paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to fall upon her before she continued in a hushed tone, "I think the master of death could... That is to say, if anyone could... I think you've sent our souls back in time. They must have latched on to our younger bodies. But why now? Why Third year?"

Harry reeled from Hermione's theory. It made sense, everything fitted in. "I think I know why. I was concentrating so hard on the feeling of being sent back in time. I was remembering the night when we used your time turner... This night. I guess I focussed a little too hard on this event..." Harry trailed off.

Hermione held back the lecture she wanted to administer to Harry about the importance of never using spells that hadn't been properly tested, this was exactly why the ministry had laws against it. Well... Perhaps not this exact situation she thought with a grim smile. "That makes sense as to why I'm with you then. You focussed your magical energy on the feeling of how it was when WE travelled back in time. Okay, we need to remember what we did that night. What happened once we drove the dementors away?"

"Shouldn't we try and catch Pettigrew?" Harry spat out. "Shouldn't we try and change the things we came here to?"

"We can't though Harry, not tonight, remember who's locked up in the tower. We need to save Sirius."

"Sirius! Of course. We'll go and find him, tell him everything we know and he can help us!" Harry spoke with ever increasing happiness, but Hermione cut him off.

"Not yet Harry, we haven't got a plan. We need to sit down and think this through, we can't just go rushing around and diving in head first. We need to work out what to do, and until we do, it might be best to keep this between us. It's going to bee hard enough as it is, let's not complicate anything until we have to. We need to get Buckbeak, save Sirius and get back to the hospital wing. THEN we can start to make a plan."

Hermione began moving to the door, grabbing Harry's hand to pull him with her and so letting Harry know there was no time left to discuss this. So Harry played along, just like third year. They flew to the top of the tower, freed Sirius with Buckbeak's help and Harry hugged and cried upon his Godfather. The pain at finding and losing him after such a short time not needing to be faked in the slightest. Hermione kept a respectful distance, and then the two of them, almost as if in a dream, made their way back to the hospital wing, filled with a determination that this time, things would be different. Soon, they would be able to change enough to save everyone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so I've just realised that I should probably say that I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from this. Just in case any of you were thinking I was actually JK.**

Harry and Hermione didn't seem to notice that they had got back to the hospital wing quicker than before, there was no mad rush before the door was locked, and they calmly walked in just after Dumbledore had left. When Madame Pomfrey loomed over them insisting on stuffing themselves with chocolate, neither of them resisted. Both caught in their own world when they heard a loud cry from above them. This time, Harry just smiled at the memory of what was to come next. Right on cue, Snape burst in to the wing, followed by Fudge and Dumbledore. Harry let his accusations flow over him. It seemed strange now, but Snape's words didn't affect him like they used to, and whilst Snape was busy shouting that Harry must have helped Sirius escape, all Harry could think was how this man had given his life for him, how he had pulled through in the end thanks to his love for Lily... Not that it made him any less of an arrogant git, thought Harry with a slight smile.

"See, look at him smirk! He helped him escape, just like his father would have done! I know Potter, I know he had something to do with it!" Snape shouted, spitting the word Potter out like it was venomous.

Dumbledore was about to reply, Harry remembered vaguely that Dumbledore would make a quip about him being unable to be in two places at once, but Harry beat him to it.

"My mother wouldn't have though, and I'm told I'm much more like her Professor Snape."

Harry thought that mentioning his mother would have softened Professor Snape. Perhaps not make him like Harry, but certainly treat him a little nicer. Unfortunately one short remark about Lily wasn't going to change the resentment that Snape had been holding on to for years and with a terrifying glare in Harry's direction, Snape stormed out of the hospital wing without a further word. Harry made a mental note not to antagonise Snape in the future, even if his intentions had been good. Harry supposed that he still had a lot to learn. Just because Snape would come through for him in the end, it didn't mean that he would be any nicer to Harry in the present. No matter what knowledge Harry had about his friendship with Lily.

Once Dumbledore and Fudge had talked their full about the dementors leaving the castle and how to break the news of Sirius' escape to the Prophet they left the two time-travelers to a slowly awakening Ron. Harry and Hermione moved closer to Ron's bed and when he asked what had happened, it came as no surprise to Harry that Hermione jumped in to a detailed description of the night. Harry was shocked at the level of detail that she had remembered the night in. It had been four years ago, and yet Hermione was telling Ron of what had happened in equisite detail. But then, Harry thought, this _was_Hermione. He had learnt many years ago never to underestimate her memory.

Once Hermione had recounted the evening's events to Ron and he had once again fallen back to sleep and began snoring loudly, Harry realised just how tired he was. Turning to Hermione Harry whispered, "do you realise that in the last twenty-four hours we have broken in to Gringotts, rode on the back of a dragon, destroyed the final three horcruxes, battled with death eaters, I've died and killed Voldemort, sent our souls back in time and then you fought off a heard of dementors before freeing Sirius all over again? This has to be the most eventful day in history. I'm about ready to fall asleep and I'm sure I won't wake for another twenty-four hours. What about you?" Harry turned to Hermione, but Hermione was already fast asleep. "I guess you feel the same then" said Harry before he lay down in the next bed and had the most wonderful sleep in a long time.

Morning came and went and the trio slept on. By mid-afternoon they had finally roused and were walking about the grounds. Ron was talking about his leg and his shock at Scabbers being Pettigrew. It was nice, thought Harry, to be with Ron again and talk to him, but he desperately needed to get Hermione alone and begin to plan their pre-emptive attack on Voldemort. If anything, talking to Ron like this made him even more determined not to let Ron go through the soul-crushing year they'd just had.

"Wow Ron, you know, everyone is going to want to talk to you about this. What did your mum say about it all? I can imagine she'd really be pissed off knowing that a dark wizard has been living in her house for the past seven years."

Ron paled at this, "I... I never thought to tell her. I mean, with everything that's happened, I forgot. Dumbledore would have told her by now though, right?"

"Well yeah, but she's going to wonder why she didn't hear it from you first mate. Gee, I hope she doesn't send you another howler!"

Ron went even paler and now resembled one of the Hogwarts ghosts.

"You don't think she would, do you?" Said Ron, almost pleading with Harry.

"I don't know mate, why don't you send her a letter right away, head her off, you know."

Ron nodded and ran back up to the castle as quick as he could. Harry and Hermione watched him go and then when he was finally out of sight, Harry laughed.

"That was mean" chided Hermione. "You know full well that his mother waited until he got home and that Dumbledore had smoothed everything over with her before hand."

"Well yeah, but I need to talk to you about what we're going to do now. We need to make plans and stop Voldemort as soon as possible and I don't know if we should tell Ron, I mean... If I was fourteen and I suddenly found out that my two best friends had aged four years overnight without me, I'd feel pretty left out, and you know how Ron got around the Triwizard Tournement when he thought he was getting pushed to the background. I just don't want to make him feel bad."

"I know, I feel the same" replied Hermione. "It's just hard. I mean, we've lost the Ron that we know, but we can't exactly mourn him, because he's right here... Just a bit younger. It's so confusing." Hermione looked away and Harry was sure he could see tears brimming in her eyes.

"We can make his life better though. We can make sure Fred doesn't die, he won't have to go through all this again. Then in a few years, you can pick up where you left with that kiss." Harry winked at Hermione, immediately regretting it from the look on Hermione's face.

"Oh Harry, I don't know. We were in the middle of a battle, I didn't know if we were going to live or die and something just took over me. But this Ron, well he won't be the same as the other one. He won't go through the same experiences, which I'm happy about, but it will change who he is. Maybe not by much, but it will change him. Maybe something will happen when he's eighteen again. Maybe. But I don't know, I can't say for certain because I can't guarantee who he'll be then. Things might change, feelings might change. It's just like you and Ginny. She's thirteen now and you damn well better not make a move on a thirteen year old!"

Harry laughed, "come on Hermione, give me some credit. Anyway, you're right of course, and that's the last thing on my mind right now. I don't know who I'll end up with, as sad as that might make me. I guess we'll take each day as it comes, and in the mean time, we need to get started on this plan to get rid of Voldemort. I'm tired of waiting around. We have all the information we need, we just need to get going."

"Get going? And do what? We've just said, we're 14! The trace is still on us, there's no way around that. We both live in muggle homes and you're probably being monitored closer than anyone else. Plus Harry, have you noticed our magic isn't as strong?"

"Isn't as strong? What do you mean?"

"Well that patronus I cast last night, it took a lot out of me. More than it ever has before and I realised that technically this body has never cast one before. Magic is like a muscle, it's why we train at Hogwarts for seven years, it's just not as strong at this age. If we were to fight with deatheaters now, or try to get through a lair of traps set by Voldemort to hide one of his horcruxes, I'm not sure we'll survive it physically. Even if we have the mental capacity, and even that I find myself doubting. I mean, Dumbledore was the one to find the ring, we don't even know what's hidden there!"

"So what? We wait? We tell Dumbledore what's going on?"

"We can't tell him, you said yourself that he put the ring on when he found it. If we tell him where the ring is, he'll hunt for it and put it on again. We can't risk that." Hermione said solemnly.

"You're right, the man dreamed of re-uniting the hallows. We can't be the ones to put that temptation in front of him, and I'll be damned if I let Dumbledore die again. There's no way I'm letting Snape become headmaster, even if he wasn't as evil as I kept insisting. Okay, so no Dumbledore. But we still need to find a way of destroying the horcruxes before Voldemort can be resurrected in the graveyard."

"About that..." Said Hermione grimly, "I think we need to let him come back..."


	4. Chapter 4

"About that..." Said Hermione grimly, "I think we need to let him come back..."

"Need to let him come back? Hermione, I don't think you understand. This is our chance. We can save everyone before the war even starts. We don't need to let anyone go through what we did. We can't just let Voldemort come back." Harry stared at Hermione in disbelief, outraged that she could even suggest such a thing.

Hermione interrupted his thoughts, "think about it Harry. If you don't let him come back in the graveyard, he could find a different way to do it and then we won't know what's going on. We'll be in the same position we were the first time around."

"But surely we can destroy the horcruxes first, Hermione! Then when he comes back he'll be weaker and I can fight him, just like I did in the last battle at Hogwarts. It will all be over by the end of the year."

"We've been over this Harry, you're not strong enough, _we're _not strong enough. We need to wait this out, let our magic develop naturally and take things slowly. Changing little things to start with so that we still have a grip on the future."

By now, Harry's anger had grown so much that one could practically see the steam coming from out of his ears, he stood up and looked at Hermione indignantly. "Listen to yourself! You're sitting here scheming and plotting whilst all the time happily putting people's lives in danger. You want Voldemort to come back? That means we have to knowingly leave the real Moody locked in the bottom of a trunk all year." Harry was getting louder and louder, shouting at his friend, "it means that people will still die. Cedric will still die! The countless muggles that Voldemort and the deatheaters callously slaughter whilst we're here at school biding our time. NO! I won't let that happen again! Damn this entire plan and damn you Hermione! I know where there's a horcrux I can get to right now, I'll show you how easily we can do this." With that, Harry turned on his heel and marched straight towards the castle without so much as a glance back to his shocked and dishevelled looking friend sitting by the lake.

Harry walked through the castle in a blind anger. How could Hermione suggest they even wait a few days? They knew where all the horcruxes were. This is exactly _why_ Harry had come back in time. He'd show her. He'd show them all. Harry's thoughts were so completely marred by latent anger and rage left over from the years of fighting and the atrocities he'd seen that no logical thought could penetrate his mind. It did not seem foolish to Harry to attempt to destroy a horcrux by himself at such a young age. Equally it did not seem brave or daring. He thought of nothing by the faces of the dead. He saw Mrs Weasley sobbing over Fred's lifeless form once more. Saw Sirius dying so quickly and so needlessly. Cedric, Colin, Tonks, Remus, Snape, Dumbledore. Faces flashed again and again in front of Harry's eyes. Before Harry knew what was happening, he was stood in front of a bare patch of wall on the seventh floor. His wand was out and he was pacing back and forth "I need the room where things are hidden, I need the room where things are hidden, I need the room where things are hidden."

A large door appeared as if from no where and Harry strode purposefully inside. He knew the way, it had been but a few days in his lifetime since he had been in here before, since Crabbe had cast the fiendfyre that had killed him. Just another death to add to the growing pile thought Harry grimly, and he pressed on, even more determined than before. Walking through the towering piles of discarded waste from the school, Harry took in nothing. He didn't pause to notice the ancient relics the room was hiding, he didn't notice the suspiciously goblin-looking paraphernalia or the reams upon reams of diary's from past students. Nothing caught his interest, he was on a blinded mission, seeing nothing but his goal. And there it was. Just up ahead he saw the lost diadem of Ravenclaw, looking ugly and grotesque, full of the evil he knew it contained. Harry stood still a short distance from the diadem and allowed all of the anger inside him to build up. He would destroy this pathetic remnant of the man who had caused so much death. But how?

It had only just occurred to Harry that he did not have the sword of Gryffindor with him and the Basilisk fangs that Ron and Hermione had used were all the way down in the chamber or secrets. No, he was here now, he would destroy the diadem as quickly as possible. The thought of a piece of Riddle's soul residing in Hogwarts for even a second more made Harry feel sick to his core. Fiendfyre, he'd seen Crabbe use it, he thought he remembered the incantation, Harry knew that the room of requirement would be able to contain it and that no one would be at risk. Looking behind him and making sure he had a clear path out before he started, Harry turned back to the diadem.

Harry hissed out in a voice filled with a venom that he had never experienced before "well Riddle, this is how it's going to be now. I'm going to take a part of your soul, and then I'll take another, and another until you are mortal again, and then I'll end you." With those last words, Harry raised his wand and began the incantation. That very moment the diadem shook and vibrated with such an intensity that everything around it began to shake. Before Harry could cast his spell, the diadem shot forth a blast of pure energy, completely invisible and yet so powerful that it blast Harry across the room. Riddle's protections on the diadem were finally showing themselves. Harry lay unconscious far away from the diadem, and the teetering towers of casually placed discarded items began to topple one by one.

This is the sight Hermione ran in to. Having gone after Harry in order to warn him against what he was about to do and pull him back from the dangerous edge he seemed to have been walking towards, Hermione had raced to the room of requirement and not a second too late. She could see towers of miscellaneous objects cascading across the room, and more worryingly, she _couldn't _see Harry. "Harry!" She called desperately. "HARRY!" But there was no reply. She couldn't see a thing and the tumbling objects were just making everything worse. Hermione whipped out her wand and mustered all the strength she could before yelling "accio Harry". There was a small disturbance in a pile quite some distance from here, but that was all. Harry did not come whizzing over to her like she'd hoped. Remembering how they'd escaped the room a few days ago when it was being ravaged by fiendfyre, Hermione tried again, "accio broomstick" and a particularly old and beaten bromstick to her immediate left shot in to her hand. Climbing on with a wild unsteadiness and her hear pounding in her chest, Hermione rose above the sea of mess to where she had seen the disturbance. Flying above it, she could see a small, pale hand just sticking out. Wanting to reach Harry before anything more crashed down upon him, she turned the nose of the broom downwards and wobbled towards the hand with the greatest amount of luck keeping her from falling off. Landing next to Harry, Hermione used her wand to clear away the rubble and there looking up at her was the limp body of the boy-who-lived. Harry Potter, the future saviour of the wizarding world was lay with his limbs askew like a rag doll and a small pool of blood slowly forming beneath his skull.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm really touched by all the comments, they've been really helpful and it's great to hear what people are thinking. So thanks very much for that. Sorry it's been over a week since I updated, but don't worry, I have big plans for this will continue to the end, although that might be a while off, I mean, we're 5 chapters in and they haven't even finished their third year yet!**

"Harry! Harry can you hear me?" shouted a frantic Hermione. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing, this couldn't be, they couldn't have come all the way back in time for Harry to die now, like this. But Hermione hadn't been through a year of hell for nothing, she knew how to keep calm in a crisis and so with a clear voice and a steady hand she pointed her wand at Harry's head and called out "vulnera sanetur" in order to stem the flow of the slowly growing pool of blood. Then, making sure Harry's airwaves were clear, Hermione cast a quick "anapneo", but still Harry didn't move. There was nothing for it, Hermione would have to take Harry to the hospital wing. She pointed her wand at Harry once more and began to levitate him towards the door, thinking desperately how she needed to get to the hospital quickly if she was to stand any chance in helping Harry survive. Finally, Hermione reached the door and, being careful to mind that she didn't jerk Harry around in mid-air, she opened the door. To Hermione's wonder, but not really surprise, she found herself opening the door to the same corridor of the hospital wing that she had been trying to get to. Later on, Hermione would think of how she should have guessed that the incredible room would have done this, after all, Neville had briefly told them of the wonderful things it had managed to do whilst the trio were hunting horcruxes, it had created a path to Hogsmede, so letting them out by the hospital wing was really to be expected. But of course, momentarily, Hermione was far too preoccupied with helping Harry.

As soon as they entered the ward, Madame Pomfrey flew to their side and placed Harry on the nearest bed, working without delay. As she began moving her wand over his still unconscious form, she turned to Hermione and asked a question that for the first time in her life, the young witch was completely unprepared as to how to answer. "What on earth happened to him?"

Hermione was stunned, she hadn't thought! She couldn't tell Madame Promfrey the truth, it would lead to far too many awkward questions, they might be found out, the war might begin early if Dumbledore discovers the horcruxes now, no, Hermione needed to think quickly and convincingly. "He... He was hit. Harry went back to the Whomping Willow, he needed to go over what had just happened, you know, with Sirius and everything. He was upset and I guess... I guess he didn't see the branch coming towards him." Hermione held her breath, hoping that she would be believed.

Madame Pomfrey tutted and began to mutter as she went back to healing Harry, "silly boy... to be expected of course... just like his father..." She then turned back to Hermione with a stern look "What did you do? Did you try to heal him?"

Hermione thought she'd been in the clear, then remembered that there was no way a third year should know healing spells, much less be performing them on their peers. "I read about it in a book. I didn't know if it would help. I'm so sorry, there was so much blood and I just..." Hermione trailed off, she'd spurted it all out in one breath and hoped that Madame Pomfrey was taking her attitude to merely be the concerned and frightened reactions of a third year witch.

"Go and find the headmaster, bring him here immediately."

Hermione didn't argue, she turned on her heel and spurted from the room, running as quick as she could to find the headmaster and get back to Harry's side. She tore through the castle and arrived at the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office just as it was opening in order to let Professor McGonagall out.

"Professor," breathed Hermione, still out of breath from her run through the castle "Harry's in hospital, there was an accident, the Whomping Willow, need to get Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey sent me"

Professor McGonagall's face hardened and she turned around, presumably to head back up the staircase to inform the headmaster. But before she was able to, Professor Dumbledore was stood behind her, looking concerned and fierce. Without a word, he took off in the direction of the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione, "please go and wait in the common room, I'll come and find you and Mr Weasley as soon as I know how Harry is." With that, she followed Dumbledore in the direction of the hospital wing and left Hermione standing alone, more aware than ever of the body that she was in. She looked like a child and people were going to start treating her like one again.

Harry Potter was currently trying to wake up. His eyelids felt so heavy but he knew there was something that he needed to do, he needed to wake up and get it done... If only he could remember what 'it' was. He slowly opened one eye, everything was blurry and his head was pounding. What was going on? Why had he been asleep, wasn't he sat by the lake with his friends? No, he'd been with Hermione, arguing? He couldn't remember and his headache was making it worse. He was just about to give up and drift back to sleep when he heard a voice, was the voice shaking? Or was it just his headache making him think that? What was the voice saying?

"Harry? Can you hear us? Come on mate"

Huh, it sounded like Ron, what was Ron doing here? Harry fought some more and tried to focus his eyes. He thought that he could see red hair, yes, definitely, it was Ron. Poor Ron, he'd just lost Fred, why was he so concerned about Harry?

"Harry, you're alright now, the Whomping Willow didn't do any lasting damage."

This voice didn't sound like Ron, no, this voice was higher, Hermione, it must have been. Yes, he could see lots of bushy brown hair, it must be her. The Whomping Willow? What was she on about? He'd just been... Then he remembered. The full horror of everything that had happened crashed back down on Harry and he let out a moan.

"Don't try to talk too much Harry, the branch to your head has really knocked you for six. Just try and rest a little."

Hermione sounded worried, but Harry understood, she must have told people he'd been hit by the Whomping Willow, not the truth of the foolish errand to destroy the diadem horcrux. He'd play along with it. He just needed to sleep for a little longer.

A few hours later Harry woke to a darkened hospital wing. His two friends talking in low murmurs and still sat next to his bed. Harry opened his eyes and smiled a little to see them both "hey guys, what happened? I don't remember much, something about a tree?"

Hermione was visibly relieved and nodded enthusiastically, "that's right, the Whomping Willow. I was just telling Ron. You went to see if there were any clues as to where Pettigrew would have gone after that night, but before you could press the knot on the tree, a branch hit the back of your head."

"Seriously Harry, anyone would think you _like_ being the one in hospital at the end of the year, I thought I'd got you beaten this year though." Laughed Ron. "It's not like the tree has missed beating you up, it got you last year!"

Ron grinned at his joke and Harry did too, more out of politeness than anything. Harry could see that Ron was relieved he wasn't hurt and just trying to make him feel better, but if anything, it made him feel worse. Harry didn't like keeping secrets from his friend, especially one this big.

"Yeah mate, I won't go back" replied Harry, but then, with a pointed look to Hermione, he added "I've learnt my lesson. I guess I should have realised that I couldn't take on anything that big and win. Not yet anyway."


End file.
